More than two dozen senior citizens smiled for the camera and allowed a police officer to take their fingerprints.

They walked away with a free laminated photo identification card and a renewed sense of security.

The Apex Police Department’s senior identification program debuted during the town’s annual Senior Health and Resource Fair at the community center on Wednesday.

At least 120 seniors attended the fair, which is hosted by Apex’s parks and recreation department. Participants got a chance to learn about everything from compression socks to free transportation through Triangle Transit and assisted-living options.

The new program is an extension of the police department’s EZ Child ID program, which provides free identification cards to kids.

“As I was telling one woman who walks every day without taking her wallet, you are one fall away from a bad emergency,” said Officer J.T. Allen. “This is one card you can slip easily in your wallet, and it has all the information we need.”

Information includes a full name, address, emergency contact telephone information and any special medical conditions or medications. The cards are designed to help police and other emergency workers.

The card is better than a driver’s license because it lists a person to contact in case of emergency, Allen said.

“We’ve had walk-offs, people who have Alzheimer’s,” he said. “This gives us a way to not only know who they are but who to reach.”

If the senior fair was any indication, the ID program will likely be popular.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” Allen said. “It has been booming. We’re giving them away like hotcakes.”

The Apex Police Department plans to visit some of the assisted-living facilities in town to offer ID cards to seniors. The department is willing to make other on-site visits upon request, Allen said.

Tom Bauman, 61, said he liked the idea of carrying an ID card with him.